I've been having a debate with my science teacher about whether animals have feelings. I'm sure that they do. Who agrees? Also, my cat laughs, has anyone else seen an animal laughing?
2007-04-05 22:13:24 · 42 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Well maybe not out loud but I have seen my cat "laugh" at me. One night I got up half asleep to get a drink of water and stumbled out thru the lounge to the kitchen. I wasn't thinking about the cat at all, and he jumped out from under the coffee table and grabbed my foot in his paws as I passed. I almost jumped over the table! He came out from under it and sat there and I SWEAR he was grinning from ear to ear! He certainly had a sense of humour.
Animals feel affection for each other and their owners, even the cruel owners. What about donkeys, who form lifetime bonds with their stablemates and will pine if one is removed. Animals (especially dogs) have long memories and will hold a grudge against people that have hurt their people or mistreated themselves.
If your science teacher doesn't know this, obviously he or she has never had a pet to bond with...or just doesn't want to admit animals have feelings--perhaps because they don't want to have to answer for the way they treat them.
2007-04-06 01:28:36 · answer #1 · answered by anna 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No I've Never Seen An Animal Laughing ,
But I've Seen A Dog Smile !
2007-04-05 22:19:36 · answer #2 · answered by dO yOu wanna piece Of me :-D[8]? 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
If you search animals and religious "souls" on the internet and in many books, you will find that the consensus is that animals were said to not feel pain and didn't have souls and didn't have feelings/emotions so that we could justify our early methods of hunting/medical research etc. I'm not someone who is against hunting, I know meat doesn't just show up in the store, the point is humane.
Regardless,
It has been proven that animals in severe health crisis at larger medical clinics have a significant drop in blood pressure and heart rate when their "owner" are present with them during recovery then when left alone. Biblically, animals traditionally didn't have "souls" or go to heaven because all religions had to justify the slaughter/sacrifice of animals to the various Gods.
Sounds like your science teacher needs to go back to school and update his/her education with new theories and research.
2007-04-06 00:31:54 · answer #3 · answered by Cash 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I can't say that my cat "laughs" but it doesn't take rocket science to tell that she has feelings. She knows when she has done good or bad. You can tell if she is hurt and in pain, or if she's upbeat and happy. She can get silly and sassy, just like anyone else. She greets us both at the door when we come home from work, and has a kind of separation anxiety when either of us are gone. She purrs when all of us are there, and her "family" is together.
So yes, I think that animals feel very much. I don't know how anyone could consider them feeling-less, inanimate objects.
2007-04-05 22:18:51 · answer #4 · answered by C J 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Depends what you mean by 'feelings'. If you mean like 'feeling pain' then yes there's no doubt about it - I'm not just being obvious, there are still people out there who think animals don't feel pain.
I expect you mean do they have emotions - that's debatable I suppose. I'm sure they do have feelings, to what extent I don't know. I expect your science teacher has mentioned 'anthropomorphism' to you - that's when people put human traits onto animals. It's responsible for why a lot of people think castrating a male dog is 'robbing him of his manhood' - that's assuming male dogs think of their testicles the same way human males do, which I don't believe! It always seems to me that cats only have 'cupboard love' - they're only affectionate when they want something! That's just my perspective tho.
Hm, cats laughing! I've met hundreds of cats and can't say I've seen this - sounds like a bit of anthropomorphism to me! :-)
Chalice
2007-04-07 06:05:16 · answer #5 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
My cats definately have feelings. They get excited, contented and annoyed. A good example that they have feelings is when my male cat does something really stupid, if we laugh at him, he will sulk. He actually sits with his back to us and ignores us for a while. Also why do cats purr. They dont do it while they are on their own. Its only when they are happy, or come into contact with someone they love that they do this, so it must signal that they have a feeling for that person right ??
2007-04-05 22:25:12 · answer #6 · answered by qabanana 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
a cat purrs when he's happy, my cat has got such a funny and great character, if animals have no feelings, then why do they get hungry, if u step on their tail or something why do they meow, or whatever noise they make, animals sleep, eat, go toilet, they like to play, when a dog or cat can't get their way, they give u the puppy dog eyes, or harrass u, tehy like to be loved, etc so ur science teacher is heartless
2007-04-05 22:19:39 · answer #7 · answered by white_funny_girl 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Yes animals have feelings. It has been proved that even an octopus can have feelings and learn stuff like tricks by responding to feelings. All vertabrates have them. Like it you step on a cat's tail to much, it will become scared. And if you love it, it is happy to see you and sometimes cuddles with you.
I also think my two hermit crabs(just got yesterday yay!) have feelings. They come out of their shells quickly, showing that they arefriendly. One of my crabs is digging the other is playing. All of them have personalities too. Some crabs in the store were reluctant to come out of their shells, and the two I picked were reluctant to go IN! If I accidentally scare my notdigger, he only goes partly in.
Yes pets have feelings and personalities.
2007-04-06 02:22:46 · answer #8 · answered by bambryce1108 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They defo have feelings!! They may not express them the same way as humans but they definatly have feeling, im amazed your science teacher doesnt agree with u. My horse sulks sometimes if I spend time with other horses. And my cats are stuck to each other like glue and would miss one another if they were separated. So yer defo have feelings.
2007-04-05 23:29:47 · answer #9 · answered by Rodeo Chick 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes animals do have a myraid of feelings just like us, otherwise how would they understand us so well ? I have a dog who has a beautiful smile.When Cats are happy they have several different signals to portray this to us.Their mouth area curls at the corners and when they are unhappy their lower jaw droops.
2007-04-05 22:29:32 · answer #10 · answered by Lindsay Jane 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋